Last week while I was attending the 2010 LA Auto Show, the folks at Dodge invited me to make a trip to San Francisco to experience a handful of new Dodge vehicles including the 2011 Dodge Charger R/T, the 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 and the 2011 Dodge Durango Citadel.



I began my day behind the wheel of the 2011 Dodge Charger R/T in bright red, with this particular Charger featuring the advanced all-wheel-drive system. We left from out hotel in the heart of San Francisco, headed to the scenic Highway 1 via a handful of the familiar San Francisco streets with incredible inclines and declines before hitting the highway for some high-speed fun prior to reaching the near-treacherous turns of Highway 1.



First, let’s get some numbers out of the way. I didn’t drive the car long enough or far enough to have any idea as to how well the various fuel-saving systems work, but with the combination of Chrysler’s fuel saver (formerly MDS) system and the front-axle disconnect setup, the 2011 Charger AWD R/T offers improved fuel economy over the previous generation Charger. Dodge claims that the front-axle disconnect alone improves overall mileage by 5% and in my own dealings with MDS in my 5.7L Hemi-powered Ram, I get substantially better mileage than those models not equipped with MDS. However, when I was tearing along the different California highways, the last thing in my mind was fuel economy.

Our 2011 Dodge Charger R/T test car was (like all R/T models) equipped with the 5.7L Hemi V8 – offering 370 horsepower and 395lb-ft of torque sent to the wheels via a 5-speed automatic transmission with the Auto Stick manual shift feature. In addition to the Hemi, the 2011 Dodge Charger offers the new Pentastar 3.6L V6, making 292 horsepower in the new Dodge Charger.



Before leaving the hotel, I was quick to turn off the traction control, alerting my passengers to hold on before I pulled the car out of the parking spot and with a quick kick of the throttle, the Hemi gave a quick spin to all four wheels before the Michelin performance tires bit and away we went. As expected, the Charger was very willing to put everyone back in their seats and on the open road, the Hemi allowed the sporty sedan to climb well past the speed limited with little effort. Once we got out of the city and onto the twisties of Highway 1, it was amazing how well the “big sedan” was able to handle even the sharpest of turns and the revisions to the suspension allowed the AWD Charger R/T to pull through the turns – approaching Highway 1 more like a road course than a low-speed scenic drive. Not only does the refined suspension allow the 2011 Charger to effortlessly cut through the turns but it also provides a firm yet comfortable ride around town and out on the open road. Like many high end sport sedans (that cost a great deal more than the 2011 Charger R/T), the new Dodge Charger combines sports car handling and luxury car ride quality for one amazing drive experience.



While you cannot look at the 2011 Dodge Charger R/T and see the improvements to the chassis or suspension, the exterior changes for 2011 take the new Charger to a whole new level of awesomeness. The design team of the 2011 Charger took the popular cues of the 1999 Dodge Charger Concept, adding the door scalloping and a coke bottle shape along the sides to give this e-segment sedan a coupe-like shape. The front of the Charger resembles the previous generation but the revisions to the headlight shape and the protruding grille give the 2011 Charger a menacing stance – like it’s mad that a slow, boring import is preventing it from tearing down the road. Out back, the 2011 Charger receives what I consider to be the most exciting change with the inclusion of the massive new taillight assembly that runs from side to side, with 164 LEDs providing a race-track like effect. Not only is this new back end better in the way that it adds more personality than the previous rear fascia, but this new look just screams “Charger”. Needless to say, I absolutely love the exterior redesign for the 2011 Dodge Charger and the new back end is truly a perfect fit for this muscular sedan.



Inside, the 2011 Dodge Charger R/T features new seating surfaces provide a comfortable ride, while also keeping you in the seat during stints of spirited driving and when the temperatures drop, the 2011 Charger offers front and rear heated seats. To give the new Charger a more luxurious, cleaner look inside, the dash is now a 1-piece layout with metal trim wrapping the touch screen control panel and the prominent driver information center. The hard plastic has been removed pretty much everywhere the driver or passengers might touch, from the dash to the door panels, doing away with the “rental car” feel that has become all too common in the auto industry. The new 3-spoke steering wheel sports the 2011 Dodge brand logo, with a variety of controls mounted on the top two spokes and the thick, leather wrapped steering wheel is a nice touch. Overall, while the 2011 Dodge Charger R/T will be marketed as a sports car it offers an interior fit and finish more commonly associated with far more expensive sedans.



The 1st generation of the modern Dodge Charger sedan drew some criticism, mostly due to the fact that it was a sedan and not a 2-door, but with the alterations made for the 2011 model year, this is a car truly deserving of the Dodge Charger name.


Click here for a closer look at the 2011 Dodge Charger at the 2010 LA Auto Show.

 

The dual, chrome-tip exhausts are awesome. Only thing I would change is put chrome where the black trim is on the body. But I'm pretty old school.

 

mantis, which points on the body would you like more chrome?

you said where there is black...so around the windows, and trimming the tail lights? one of the other 2011 chargers ive seen didnt have any chrome (flat black grille on that one), so if they are going to add chrome on the grille, i think that there could be more elsewhere...maybe around the tails, but that might be too much...

 

Exactly. Around the windows and tail lights and the lower cooling intake.

 

i think that one of their efforts with the 2011 charger is to really set it apart from the chrysler 300...so that could be one reason why there isnt much chrome.

however, there appears to be room in the lineup for a "luxury" trimline for the charger...although i dont know what they could add, other than some chrome.

 

I forgot that angle. The Charger is the performance model versus the 300 being the luxe model. I still haven't made up my mind if I am going to buy the Charger or the Ram when my house is finished. I have a mile and a half on a brutal dirt road from the highway to my house and I really want the Charger, but I really don't think it's practical. My 03 Neon scrapes the front engine subframe every trip in and out, I can't imagine putting a brand new Charger through that. But dang I love what Chrysler has done.

 

I don't know about the rest of you, but i'm NOT too keen on this new body style. It has a Mitsubishi nose, a Volvo sloping body, and Mustang lines in the door. It now looks like any other car on the road and will get mistaken for another car. I have a '09 and nobody mistakes that body for anything else.
The old body was unique, this is not.

 

Nice writeup BadStratRT, maybe they have an opening at Motor Trend for ya.

I've been in love with the Charger since I was 5 years old watching the Dukes of Hazzard
I like that they're putting some styling cues from the '69 model. One one hand I wish they could have done more like with the Challenger, but this is actually practical for a family man like myself. The more I look at it, the more I like it.

 

Love the new styling! Was there any indication of a manual transmission on offer? Possibly as an option on the SRT if not the other models?

 

A manual transmission did come up, but the folks from Chrysler didnt have anything promising to say. It wasnt a decisive "no", but it also wasnt a yes...finishing with something about not being able to give any guaranteed answer on future models.